Campfire Ban Begins Friday In Central Oregon

Increased visitors to public land in Oregon due to the upcoming solar eclipse have forced some public land managers in the state to issue a campfire ban, effective Friday.

According to KTVZ, public land managers for the Prineville District of the Bureau of Land Management, Deschutes, Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland, announced Wednesday they will implement a ban on open campfires that takes effectFriday.

Beginning at 12:01 a.m.,on Friday, campfires, including charcoal and pellet fires, will no longer be allowed on public lands. This is a change from the implementation of Public Use Restrictions onJuly 18,which limited campfires to designated campgrounds.

This fire ban includes all wilderness areas. Portable cooking stoves or lanterns, using liquefied or bottled fuel, may be used in all areas.

In addition to the campfire ban, the Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) will rise to 4 on Friday. IFPL 4, referred to as ‘General Shutdown’, means that all industrial operations are prohibited including chainsaw use for firewood cutting, and possessing or using a motor vehicle off National Forest System roads.

In addition to campfire restrictions, smoking is restricted to an enclosed vehicle or building, in a designated campground, in boats on lakes and rivers, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is clear of all flammable material.